Therapeutic agent delivery device including disposable and reusable portions

Abstract

A therapeutic agent delivery device includes a disposable portion and a reusable portion that detachably carries the disposable portion. The reusable portion includes a drive mechanism having a guide, a rotary actuator, and a follower drivably coupled to the rotary actuator and movably coupled to the guide. The rotary actuator is actuatable to rotatably drive the follower, and the follower thereby follows the guide and translates the drive mechanism. The drive mechanism thereby translates a syringe assembly of the disposable portion from a stowed configuration to a deployed configuration.

1 . A therapeutic agent delivery device, comprising:
 a disposable portion, comprising:
 a first housing comprising a distal end; 
 a syringe assembly carried by the first housing, the syringe assembly comprising:
 a chamber comprising a passageway; 
 a needle in communication with the passageway; 
 
 the syringe assembly being translatable relative to the first housing from a stowed configuration to a deployed configuration, in the stowed configuration the needle being disposed proximally relative to the distal end of the first housing, and in the deployed configuration the needle is at least partially extended distally from the distal end of the first housing; 
   a reusable portion is configured to detachably carry the disposable portion, the reusable portion comprising:
 a second housing; 
 a drive mechanism carried by the second housing and coupled to the syringe assembly, the drive mechanism comprising:
 a guide; 
 a rotary actuator; 
 a follower drivably coupled to the rotary actuator and movably coupled to the guide; 
 
   wherein the rotary actuator is actuatable to rotatably drive the follower, the follower is configured to follow the guide, and whereby the drive mechanism is translated relative to the second housing, and the syringe assembly is translated relative to the first housing from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The therapeutic agent delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism further comprises a carriage translatably carried by the second housing, the carriage configured to carry the rotary actuator, and the rotary actuator is actuatable to rotatably drive the follower, the follower is configured to follow the guide and whereby the carriage is translated relative to the second housing, and the syringe assembly is translated relative to the first housing from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The therapeutic agent delivery device of  claim 2 , wherein the drive mechanism further comprises a compression spring coupled to the follower, the compression spring configured to urge the follower to follow the guide as the follower is rotatably driven by the rotary actuator, whereby the carriage is translated relative to the second housing, and the syringe assembly is translated relative to the first housing from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The therapeutic agent delivery device of  claim 3 , wherein the guide comprises a slope portion, and the rotary actuator is actuatable to rotatably drive the follower, the follower is configure to follow the slope portion and whereby the drive mechanism is translated relative to the second housing, the drive mechanism thereby permitting the syringe assembly to translate relative to the first housing and return from the deployed configuration to the stowed configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The therapeutic agent delivery device of  claim 4 , wherein the compression spring is a first compression spring, the disposable unit further comprises a second compression spring configured to urge the syringe assembly away from the deployed configuration, and the rotary actuator is actuatable to rotatably drive the follower, the follower is configured to follow the slope portion and whereby the drive mechanism is translated relative to the second housing, the drive mechanism thereby permitting the second compression spring to expand and translate the syringe assembly to relative to the first housing and return from the deployed configuration to the stowed configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The therapeutic agent delivery device of  claim 2 , wherein the therapeutic agent delivery device is elongated along a longitudinal axis extending between the disposable portion and the reusable portion, and the rotary actuator is actuatable to rotatably drive the follower, the follower is configured to follow the guide and whereby the carriage is translated relative to the second housing in a drive direction, the drive direction being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and the syringe assembly is translated relative to the first housing in the drive direction from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         7 . The therapeutic agent delivery device of  claim 6 , wherein the follower is rotatable relative to the second housing about a follower rotation axis, the follower rotation axis being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and the rotary actuator is actuatable to rotatably drive the follower about the follower rotation axis, the follower is configured to follow the guide and whereby the carriage is translated relative to the second housing in the drive direction, and the syringe assembly is translated relative to the first housing in the drive direction from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         8 . The therapeutic agent delivery device of  claim 2 , wherein the guide comprises a cliff portion having an edge, and the rotary actuator is actuatable to rotatably drive the follower, the follower is configured to move over the edge and whereby the drive mechanism is translated relative to the second housing, and the syringe assembly is translated relative to the first housing from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         9 . The therapeutic agent delivery device of  claim 2 , wherein the rotary actuator is a first rotary actuator, and the reusable portion further comprises a therapeutic agent delivery mechanism, the therapeutic agent delivery mechanism comprising:
 a second rotary actuator;   a plunger drivably coupled to the second rotary actuator and translatably carried by the carriage;   wherein, when the syringe assembly is in the deployed configuration, the second rotary actuator is actuatable to translate the plunger relative to the carriage, the plunger is configured to cause the syringe assembly to deliver the therapeutic agent from the needle.   
     
     
         10 . The therapeutic agent delivery device of  claim 9 , wherein the carriage carries the second rotary actuator, and the second rotary actuator is translatable with the carriage relative to the second housing. 
     
     
         11 . The therapeutic agent delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the rotary actuator is a first rotary actuator, and the reusable portion further comprises a therapeutic agent delivery mechanism, the therapeutic agent delivery mechanism comprising:
 a second rotary actuator;   a plunger drivably coupled to the second rotary actuator;   wherein, when the syringe assembly is in the deployed configuration, the second rotary actuator is actuatable to translate the plunger relative to the first housing, the plunger is configured to cause the syringe assembly to deliver the therapeutic agent from the needle.   
     
     
         12 . The therapeutic agent delivery device of  claim 11 , whereinafter the syringe assembly is in the deployed configuration and the syringe assembly delivers the therapeutic agent from the needle, the syringe assembly returns to the stowed configuration, and then the second rotary actuator is actuated to retract the plunger relative to the first housing. 
     
     
         13 . The therapeutic agent delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the disposable unit further comprises a compression spring is configured to urge the syringe assembly away from the deployed configuration, and (1) the rotary actuator is actuatable in a first instance to rotatably drive the follower, the follower is configured to follow the guide and whereby the drive mechanism is translated relative to the second housing, and the syringe assembly is translated relative to the first housing from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration, and (2) the rotary actuator is actuatable in a second instance to rotatably drive the follower, the follower is configured to follow the guide, and the compression spring is configured to translate the syringe assembly relative to the first housing from the deployed configuration to the stowed configuration. 
     
     
         14 . The therapeutic agent delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism further comprises a gear train drivably coupling the rotary actuator to the follower. 
     
     
         15 . The therapeutic agent delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the reusable portion further comprises a user input, the user input carried by the second housing and operatively coupled to the rotary actuator, and the user input being actuatable by a user to actuate the rotary actuator, the follower is rotatably driven by the rotary actuator, the follower is configured to follow the guide and whereby the drive mechanism is translated relative to the second housing, and the syringe assembly is translated relative to the first housing from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         16 . The therapeutic agent delivery device of  claim 15 , wherein the rotary actuator is a first rotary actuator, and the reusable portion further comprises:
 a sensor configured to detect disposition of the syringe assembly in the deployed configuration;   a therapeutic agent delivery mechanism, the therapeutic agent delivery mechanism comprising:
 a second rotary actuator; 
 a plunger drivably coupled to the second rotary actuator; 
   wherein, when the sensor detects the syringe assembly is in the deployed configuration, the second rotary actuator is actuated to translate the plunger relative to the first housing, the plunger is configured to cause the syringe assembly to deliver the therapeutic agent from the needle.   
     
     
         17 . The therapeutic agent delivery device of  claim 15 , wherein the second housing comprises a distal end, in the deployed configuration the needle is at least partially extended distally from the distal end of the second housing, the reusable portion further comprising a sensor configured to detect contact between the distal end of the second housing and the skin of a subject, the reusable portion is configured to inhibit actuation of the user input when the sensor does not detect contact between the distal end of the second housing and the skin of the subject, and the reusable portion is configured to permit actuation of the user input when the sensor detects contact between the distal end of the second housing and the skin of the subject. 
     
     
         18 . The therapeutic agent delivery device of  claim 15 , wherein the disposable portion further comprises a needle shield detachably coupled to the distal end of the first housing and configured to obscure the needle in the stowed configuration, the reusable portion further comprising a sensor configured to detect the needle shield, the reusable portion configured to inhibit actuation of the user input when the sensor detects that the needle shield is coupled to the distal end of the first housing, and the reusable portion configured to permit actuation of the user input when the sensor detects that the needle shield is detached from the distal end of the first housing. 
     
     
         19 . A therapeutic agent delivery device, comprising:
 a housing;   a syringe assembly carried by the housing, the syringe assembly comprising:
 a chamber comprising a passageway; 
 a piston movably carried in the passageway; 
 a needle in communication with the passageway; 
   a therapeutic agent delivery mechanism carried by the housing, the therapeutic agent delivery mechanism comprising:
 a carriage movably carried by the housing; 
 a motor carried by the carriage; 
 a gear train drivably coupled to the motor; 
 a drive shaft drivably coupled to the gear train, the drive shaft being rotatable relative to the carriage and translatably fixed relative to the carriage; 
 an outer shaft fixed relative to the carriage, the outer shaft comprising first internal threads; 
 an intermediate shaft disposed within the outer shaft, the intermediate shaft being drivably coupled to the drive shaft and rotatable together with the drive shaft relative to the carriage and the outer shaft, the intermediate shaft comprising first external threads and second internal threads, the first external threads threadably coupling to the first internal threads of the outer shaft; and 
 an inner shaft disposed within the intermediate shaft and engageable with the piston, the inner shaft being translatable relative to the intermediate shaft and rotatably fixed relative to the outer shaft, the inner shaft comprising second external threads, the second external threads threadably coupling to the second internal threads of the intermediate shaft; 
   wherein the motor is actuatable to rotatably drive the gear train, the drive shaft, and the intermediate shaft relative to the carriage, whereby the intermediate shaft is rotated and translated relative to the outer shaft, the inner shaft is translated relative to the intermediate shaft, and the piston is translated in the chamber.   
     
     
         20 . The therapeutic agent delivery device of  claim 19 , wherein the therapeutic agent delivery mechanism further comprises a sleeve, the sleeve rotatably fixing the inner shaft relative to the outer shaft. 
     
     
         21 . The therapeutic agent delivery device of  claim 20 , wherein one of the inner shaft and the sleeve comprises a key, and the other of the inner shaft and the sleeve comprises a slot, the slot is configured to receive the key to permit translation of the inner shaft relative to the sleeve and rotatably fix the inner shaft relative to the sleeve. 
     
     
         22 . The therapeutic agent delivery device of  claim 20 , wherein one of the outer shaft and the sleeve comprises a key, and the other of the outer shaft and the sleeve comprises a slot, the slot is configured to receive the key to permit translation of the outer shaft relative to the sleeve and rotatably fix the outer shaft relative to the sleeve. 
     
     
         23 . The therapeutic agent delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the distal end of the first housing includes a distal end opening, and an interior surface of the first housing includes one or more ribs extending radially inward. 
     
     
         24 . The therapeutic agent delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the passageway is configured to carry a therapeutic agent.